The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-05
Sunday Observance.


The attempts that are now being made
in this and other cities, to somewhat rig
orously enforce the Sunday laws, bring
out in their absurdity the curious dis
tinctions drawn by the law. If we are
to- abide by the Mosaic formula, it is
quite as wicked to take n ride or a sail
ON the Lords day as it is to play base
ball, go to a dancing party, or attend the
theater All are forms of amusement
and of the different forms indicated. one,
if properly INDUCED in, may be quite as
innocent rs the other. On the continent
of Europe we fancy that none of the
forms of amusement We have referred
to above would be looked upon as OBJ
jectionable by those who call themselves
Christian people, and who would be in
their dealings one with another quite
amenable to ordinary moral restraints
most of the people in this country.
The difficulty that our lawmakers
have to contend with is that they are
under the restraints imposed upon them
by the strong tendency toward an Oh
servance of Jewish formalities. which
was one of the characteristic features of
the reformation among the Anglo-Saxon
people. In making a departure from
| the Roman Catholic methods, the early
Protestants reverted toward the other
Hebraic type of religious observances.
| did a great deal of service, both for Eng
land and this country, found a more
| congenial field for theological specula-
| ton in the Old than in the New Testa-
ment. Leaving the code for action which
the Roman Catholic Church had
built up through fifteen centuries,
the Puritans found in the Jewish
code a substitute already at hand.
one in which the duties of life
were clearly defined. and the pains
/ and penalties of dIsobedience laid down
| with equal clearness. One has only to
| read the books, papers and addresses of
| the time of the reformation in England,
and of the time of the early settlement
of this country, to realize how thoroughly
the Jewish spirit had permeated the
mind of the people. and how much more
stress was laid upon the clear-cut com
mands of the Hebrew prophets than upon
the milder and less categorical teachings
of Christ and his immediate disciples.
But with us the usageS of generations
are not readily set aside. iiu-
man nature. it is true, has as
serted itself in a number of diff
ferent directions, but still the old
formulas hang over us, and seriously
distort our methods of considering the
events of everyday life. Amusements
are classified by us in way which will
probably provoke the ridicule of our DIES
pendants in generations To cOme-sOmt
rs being permissible, not because one l.
logically any more morally wrong than
the other. but because in certain direc
tions public opinion has been more thor
oughly awakened than it has in others
There can be little doubt that the Apps
tie Paul looked forward to a time
when, 81 far as special religious olserv
ance was concerned, one day in the
year would have no more Significant,
than any other day, and by his teachings
attempted to prepare those who looked
to him for advice for his entire revolu
ton in accepted usages. The world ha:
moved less rapidly in this respect than
he anticipated, but the tendency of mod
ern progress in Judging of men is to
place less and less stress upon the acts
which they may see fit to perform Oh
special days, than upon what they d,
upon all days of the week and all week
of the year.